february 29
Cactus League Baseball: They struck out in 1995, but the real boys of spring return for this year's slate of preseason games, which starts with a couple of games at 1:05 p.m. Thursday, February 29: the California Angels host California State University at Fullerton at Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2525 South 48th Street, and the SanDiego Padres play the Seattle Mariners at the two teams' dual training site, Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 North 83rd Avenue. Games continue daily, through Friday, March 29, at these and other venues; for this week's schedule and other information, see the "Cactus League" subsection in the Sports listing. Tickets for Angels, Padres, Mariners and San Francisco Giants home games are available at Ticketmaster; call 784-4444. Tickets for Angels, Chicago Cubs, Oakland Athletics and Milwaukee Brewers home games are available at Dillard's; call 678-2222. For tickets to Colorado Rockies home games in Tucson, call 1-800-388-7625.
"The Masters": Ballet Arizona continues its tenth season with a trio of 20th-century works, including George Balanchine's "Serenade," Paul Taylor's "Esplanade" and Antony Tudor's "Lilac Garden." Final performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 29; 7:30p.m. Friday, March 1; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2; and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in Center Stage at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe. Tickets range from $17.25 to $27.25, available at the ballet box office and Dillard's. For details call 381-1096 or 678-2222.
The Night of the Iguana: Arizona State University theatre professor and New Times contributor Marshall W. Mason directed this student production of the Tennessee Williams work about the relationship that develops between a former minister, fallen from grace and on the skids, and a lonely artist; see the review on page 59. Final performances are Thursday, February 29; Friday, March 1; and Saturday, March 2. All shows start at 8 p.m. at Paul V. Galvin Playhouse inASU's Nelson Fine Arts Center, Tenth Street and Mill in Tempe. Tickets are $11, $8.50 for ASU faculty and staff, $6 for students. For reservations and details, call 965-6447.
Phoenix Symphony: Pianist Caio Pagano joinsthe orchestra, conducted by James Sedares, in an all-Russian program of works, including Borodin's Overture to Prince Igor; Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No.3; and Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances. Performances are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, February 29; and 11a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Friday morning's program is a "Coffee Classics" concert; tickets are specially priced at $11 and $15, and the Borodin piece will not be performed. Regular tickets range from $12 to $36, available at the symphony box office and Dillard's. For details call 264-6363, 262-7272 or 678-2222.
friday
march 1
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: The 22-member Windy City troupe is good enough in its own right, but it's been darned near untouchable since 1990, when choreographer Twyla Tharp hand-picked Hubbard to premiere a series of her works. The company previews Tharp's latest piece, "I Remember Clifford," in performances at 8 p.m. Friday, March 1; 8 p.m. Saturday, March 2; and 7p.m. Sunday, March 3, at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. The program alsoincludes Daniel Ezralow's "Read My My Hips" and Mauricio Wainrot's "Perpetuum Mobile (Perpetual Motion)"; a discussion follows Friday's show. Tickets are $20 and $27, available at the center and all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information, call 994-2787 or 784-4444.
Three Hotels: Playwright Jon Robin Baitz's darkly satirical dismantling of the ugly-American dream centers on an amoral corporate executive's campaign to hawk baby formula in Africa. This week's performances are at 8p.m. Friday, March 1; and the same time Saturday, March 2, at St.George Actors Showcase, 4700 North Central, Suite 112. The production continues through Saturday, March 30. Tickets are $12, $9 for students and seniors. Forreservations and details, call 956-9168 or 264-8488.
Phoenix Suns: The Suns host the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. Friday, March 1, and the Indiana Pacers at the same time Tuesday, March 5, at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. The team's next home game is at 7 p.m. Friday, March 8, versus the Los Angeles Lakers. If tickets are available, they're at the arena and Dillard's. For details call 379-7867, 379-7800 or 678-2222.
The Marriage of Figaro: Arizona State University's Lyric Opera Theatre continues itsseason with Mozart's opera-buffa take onthe play by Pierre Augustin Caron deBeaumarchais. Final performances areat7:30p.m. Friday, March 1; and the same time Saturday, March 2, at ASU Music Theatre, Milland Gammage Parkway in Tempe. Tickets are $11, $8.50 for ASU faculty and staff, $6for students and seniors, available at ASU and Dillard's box offices. For reservations and details, call 965-6447 or 678-2222.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
"The Masters": See Thursday.
The Night of the Iguana: See Thursday.
Phoenix Symphony: See Thursday.
saturday
march 2
John Prine: Prine, a folkie for whom that term is far too limiting, can bust your gut with his goof-ball humor--"Sour Grapes," "Linda Goes to Mars"--and then knock you on your butt with a work of quiet power like "Mexican Home." On a good night, Prine's one of the greats. Touring in support of his latest OhBoy disc, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings, herenews his long-standing relationship with Celebrity Theatre, which had been dark for years before recently reopening, on Saturday, March 2. Heather Eatman shares the bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. The venue's located at 440 North 32nd Street. Tickets are $24.55 in advance, $26.75 the day of the show, available at the scene and Dillard's. For details call 267-1600 or 678-2222.
Arizona Men's Tennis Championships: South Africa's Wayne Ferreira is the top seed in afield that includes Todd Martin and Stefan Edberg. The ATP Tour World Series event, a hard-court, singles/doubles tourney, starts Saturday, March 2, and continues through Sunday, March 10, at Scottsdale Princess resort, 7575 East Princess Drive. Tickets range from $8 to $75, available at Dillard's. For details call 678-2222.
Anne-Sophie Mutter: The Grammy-winning violinist, a bright star of the classical universe, performs a rare recital at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets range from $20 to $60, available at the symphony box office and Dillard's. For details call 264-6363 or 678-2222.
Indian Fair and Market: Heard Museum Guild presents the 38th annual outdoor festival, one of the West's best. Highlights include adisplay and sale of works by top Native American artists and crafters, music, dancing and kids' activities. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2; and the same on Sunday, March 3, at the Heard, 22 East Monte Vista. Tickets, available atthe scene and Dillard's, are $5, $3 for children ages 4 to 12, and include museum entry; kids age 3 and under are admitted free. For details call 252-8840 or 678-2222.
Edwin McCain: McCain hails from South Carolina and plays a blend of rock, soul, folk, blues and jazz, but he's not to be confused with that other South Carolina outfit that blends rock, soul, folk, blues and jazz and has sold about a billion copies of an album titled Cracked Rear View. The Badlees share the all-ages bill, which starts at 9 p.m. Saturday, March 2, at Gibson's, 410 South Mill in Tempe. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 the day of the show, available at the club and Ticketmaster. Call 968-8664 or 784-4444.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: See Friday.
The Marriage of Figaro: See Friday.
"The Masters": See Thursday.
The Night of the Iguana: See Thursday.
Three Hotels: See Friday.
sunday
march 3
Victor Villaseor: The New Mexico-born author (Rain of Gold) and screenwriter (The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez) reads from and signs copies of his works at 7p.m. Sunday, March 3, at Tempe's Changing Hands Bookstore, 414 South Mill, Suite 109. Admission is free. Call 966-0203.
Arizona Men's Tennis Championships: SeeSaturday.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago: See Friday.
Indian Fair and Market: See Saturday.
"The Masters": See Thursday.
monday
march 4
The Caballeros, and Ray Condo and theRicochets: The L.A.-based Cabs include former members of Russell Scott and the Red Hots, Bone Coot, Florida Slim and the Hurricanes and El Vez's band. Their sound is also something of a roots mongrelization, but the result is a good-rockin' delight. Even better is Condo's Western-bop outfit, a Canadian group that harks back to the glory days when country met jazz and spat out Bob Wills. The bands perform Monday, March 4, at the Rockin' Horse, 7000 East Indian School in Scottsdale. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the scene and Ticketmaster. Call 949-0992.
Arizona Men's Tennis Championships: SeeSaturday.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
tuesday
march 5
"A Touch of the Garden": The hands-on tour of Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, in Papago Park, includes stations and demonstrations detailing how local plants and animals have adapted to their Sonoran Desert environment. Walks are planned at 9a.m. Tuesday, March 5; and the same time Wednesday, March 6. They're free with regular admission: $6, $5 for seniors, $1 for kids ages 5 to 12, free for younger kids. Call 941-1225.
Arizona Men's Tennis Championships: SeeSaturday.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
Phoenix Suns: See Friday.
wednesday
march 6
White Zombie: The group, named after the 1932 Bela Lugosi horror flick, is to heavy metal as Beavis and Butt-head is to American culture as a whole: a spoof that's so dead-on, it attracts the very brain-dead element it so deliciously slam-dunks; see the story on page 85. Rob Zombie (real name: Robert Straker), Sean Yseult and crew wallow in high-decibel trash, camp and gore on Wednesday, March 6, at Compton Terrace, I10 and Riggs Road in Chandler. Filter shares the bill. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance, $20.25 the day of theshow, available at Dillard's. Call 678-2222.
Jackson Browne: Browne's not nearly the songwriter he once was, but, based on his most recent Valley gig--a love-in at Gammage Auditorium in which he received myriad requests for classic tunes and gloried in answering each and every one--he's still a hell of a performer. Vonda Shepard shares the bill. Showtime is 7p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at Mesa Amphitheatre, Center and University. Tickets are $24.50 in advance, $1 more the day of the show, available at Dillard's. Call 644-2560.
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown: The lanky, long-limbed Texan is the master of many instruments, but he's primarily a powerhouse blues guitarist in the T-Bone Walker mold. Gate performs at 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. Tickets are $14, available at the club and Ticketmaster. Call 265-4842 or 784-4444.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Director Elia Kazan's smashing 1951 version of the Tennessee Williams vehicle stars Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh and Kim Hunter. The unrated film is this week's classic selection atUnited Artists Cinemas 6, located inside Christown Mall, 19th Avenue and Bethany Home. Showtimes are 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 6. Tickets are $3 for the matinee, $4 for the evening screening. The series continues through Wednesday, March 27. Call 242-4525.
Arizona Men's Tennis Championships: SeeSaturday.
Cactus League Baseball: See Thursday.
"A Touch of the Garden": See Tuesday.
